How to capture the perfect landscape in spring

The daffodils are in full bloom, the scent of fresh rainfall is in the air, and you’re about to throw a party because – you’ve probably already guessed it – the gorgeous golden hour is back! Yes, it’s true! You don’t need a field of fluffy sheep to let you know, spring is well and truly here. So, for those of you who neglected your camera during the harsh and wild winter months, it’s time to inhale the sweet scent of new life; and get out your camera to capture the perfect spring landscape. But, if it’s been a while, you might be wondering how you do it. We at Pixal have some tip-top tricks, to help you capture just how sublime the spring season is.

A Matter of Perspective

First things first, you have to carefully consider your lens. Spring photography is all about capturing the sensations you link with the season. As you’re focusing on blooming flowers, sprouting shoots and newly-born animals, it’d seem an obvious choice to reach for your macro lens. It’s great at capturing tiny details, and it’ll let you get up close and personal with your favourite flowers. Thing is, it can often lead to a joyless, generic types of photos. Up-close flowers with intricate tendrils can initially inspire awe, but after seeing four of the same, your audience is going to get tired.

This is where your artist’s eye can come into play! Choose a wide angle lens pointed straight up, to harness the power of converging verticals; or capture the perfect landscape wide as you open your shot up. By doing this, you can add depth or exaggerate scale, and ensure you get an incredible, emotive, eye-opener image.

See the Light

As a fantastic photographer, we’ve got no doubts that you’re already well aware of the golden hour phenomenon. The soft-focus rose-tinted glasses hour just before or just after the sun sets is long famed with photographers as the world’s natural Instagram filter; and during spring, it can help you capture the perfect landscape photo. That’s because the changing wonderful weather conditions will often control the intensity, and the cosy colour, of the light. But what’s termed tumultuous for mother nature is good fortune for you – and whilst these days you can add filters at a later date, there’s nothing like the feeling you’ll get when you post a pic with the #nofilter hashtag.

Incredibly, a great tip for capturing the perfect landscape in spring is to avoid deadly direct, white light, as it will bleach out your photos and leave the image overexposed. Instead work with the low light, stun with shadow, and especially the fog (if you can catch it). Not only does this foggy frame give your image a soft-blur, it can also add a spooky, sinister vibe to your images – eye-popping when you contrast with the greenery of nature. In short, make the erratic spring weather work for you; rather than having to work around it, and you’ll bring a complexity and a feel that compels your audience to appreciate your view of the world.

Be at one with Nature

Our third and final tip to help you capture the perfect landscape in spring is to be in tune with the teaming-life around you. If you think of your favourite images, then no doubt you’ll picture a snap that brings with it a flood of emotion (warning: we got to image 18 before we started crying). It follows then, that great awe and wonder are the emotions you’re aiming to inspire in your springtime snaps.

A good idea then, when you reach your dedicated springtime scene, is to take a slow walk. Take in your surroundings and record the way the world makes you feel. It’s worth writing down what, and where, you experience the most emotion. Then, consider what you want to capture. Think about what it is in your location that stirs your heart. Then, frame your image, and close one eye. This helps you convert your 3D vision into a more 2D plane, reducing the depth of field, and showing you an image that reflects your potential photograph. If you do this, and your heart leaps, you know you’re about to capture the perfect landscape. Go forth, and click. Good luck!

Inspired? Let us know which landscapes you’ll be snapping! Don’t forget your camera to capture nature’s ouroboros in all its glory. Then upload your photos to Pixal – the cross-platform camera app dedicated to capturing and managing images in a new and unique way.